rallyraid said:
Now that I look at the specs on the Konas, there's further proof a sucker is born every minute. There's nothing closer to a plastic bubble than "coaching" mountain biking to kids, or insisting that they need a suspension bike. Living vicariously through your children is no way to go through life, because I'm sure a 7 year old will know the finer points between an Alivio, Acera or Deore parts.
Wow! I'm not really sure where to start with replying to this response! I guess this is the interwebz so I should have been prepared for a complete and total 'expert' opinion (see, I can use quotes as well!).
Here, let me try:
Kona specs - not much wrong with them for a child's bike or even as a starter adult's bike. I'm not sure where you are coming from with the sucker comment. Maybe it is just Kona hate? Just because you don't like the company doesn't mean that they don't have a solid product.
"Coaching" and children - not sure what the quotes are implying but I'll take a stab at it. Yes, I coach/instruct/teach children in several different sports. I have also taught children in the classroom but that is beside the point. I am not living vicariously through any of the children that I coach. I am enjoying my time riding with them regardless of the equipment being used. And enjoying their successes at becoming better riders. I live a life that I feel most people would be jealous of. I get paid to ride a bike in the summer and I get paid to snowboard and ski in the winter. And I love it! It is much better to me than sitting in a cubicle! Maybe you are implying that the profession that I have chosen just straight up sucks. It is okay to hold that opinion. And it is okay that I have my opinion.
If you are implying that there is no point in coaching/instructing/teaching children biking or any other sport you may need to tell that to all the other sport organizations around the world that we are all wasting our time.
Or maybe you are implying that children won't benefit from any kind of instruction, coached or otherwise because they are children. This I truely do not believe. Several of the children I have coached over the years have gone on to race and compete in their winter and summer sports at a provincial and national level. And I am happy to have had a hand in helping them get to that level.
Suspension on a child's bike - you are correct in stating that all children's bikes do not need suspension but that really depends on where it is going to be used. Where I live and coach front suspension as a starting point is somewhat necessary. You may counter that argument by bringing up the rigid and single speed riders but I don't subscribe to any of that philosophy of riding. In my area I have never seen a rigid bike on the trails. I have seen a small number of single speeds.
However, I did not 'insist' that a suspension bike was needed. I stated that if the OP was looking at a bike with suspension what to look for in the suspension. Try not to "misquote" me when "quoting" me.
As for the 'finer points' in components - children may or may not be savvy to the name brands but they certainly can tell when components on their bikes don't work the way they should. So, checking to see if a higher end groupo is on the bike will generally lead to it working better for longer.
To the OP - sorry for derailing the thread a little but with this clarification to the 'expert' it may have enlightened my original answer more.
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